Making lemonade

After sifting through several series of photos I'd made over the past week or two, I was going to post some cheerful spring photos, made while the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and temperatures were approaching the high 70s F (mid 20s C). Today we woke up to a different season - gray overcast skies, a howling north wind driving the rain horizontally, and a temperature of 39F (4C).

Our grandson is staying for the weekend while his parents enjoy a quick getaway. Plans for outdoor time had to be shelved, but the weather certainly doesn't put a damper on a 3-year old's ability to have fun. And what better fun than to see what's in the toy box and get down to some serious playing ...

(Day 273) Built for work, not comfort

Fall is definitely here, and that's what the rain did all day, with increasing intensity ! The little drainage ditch that is normally dry, became a navigable waterway by this afternoon. for canoes at least. My camera was confined to indoors - outdoors was rather bleak anyway. I decided to go to the large garage and make a few photos of my all-season 'beast of burden'.

It's a David Brown, circa 1965, but it runs very well, and served on a real farm in its previous life. Now it's eased into semi-retirement - I use it to cut (notice I didn't say mow) the tall grass that grows beyond our lawn, and in winter time to keep our driveway clear of snow. Tractors have come a long way since this one was built - notice the lack of air conditioning, or even a cab, and also the lack of upholstery. I have to confess that I recycled an old sofa cushion to act as a shock absorber on that bare metal seat - we all have our limits.

(10-22mm  f4  1/3 sec  ISO400)